Monday, June 29, 2009

Strawberries are in season here now and I have a loooong list of recipes to make with them – it’s been my favorite fruit even since I was a kid. My mom used to make a wonderful strawberry tart and I loved it so much she would make it all winter long.

I can’t wait to try making my mom’s tart, but these meringues looked so pretty on the magazine I had to start my strawberry frenzy with them.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. To make the roasted strawberries, place them in a small baking dish (do not use a shallow dish because the juices will bubble away in the oven) and sprinkle with the sugar. Mix well and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the strawberries are soft and syrupy. Remove and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 120ºC/250ºF. Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and vinegar and beat until the mixture is thick and glossy - rub a little of the mixture between your fingertips; when you no longer feel the sugar granules, the mixture is ready.
Place spoonfuls of the meringue onto two large baking sheets lined with non-stick baking paper - I used regular baking paper. Using the back of a teaspoon, make a dent in the center to create a nest and bake for 25 minutes* or until the meringues are crisp on the outside. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven for 30 minutes.
Place the cream and icing sugar in a bowl and beat until firm peaks form.
To serve, spoon the roasted strawberries into the center of each meringue and top with the cream.

* I halved the recipe, made 6-7cm meringue rounds and ended up with 8 meringues, that were baked for 55 minutes